2021 UEFA Nations League (semifnals)

Okay, I'll be honest: I have no idea what the Nations League tournament is, but this is a brilliant final four, so I'll take it.  This is an in-between World Cups filler event, I suppose? Doesn't really seem necessary as all the continents have tourneys in the interval, but whatever, more top level soccer is fine with me. Two great games, looking forward to two more.

Italy 1-2 Spain

Both teams started off this match in full-on defensive mode, felt like not much was gonna happen. But that dissipated pretty quick when a beautiful cross (breathtaking! Kelly to Reed, Aikman to Irvin, Brady to Moss kinda shit!) found the goal and it was on. Spain connected once more in a lovely series of passes that ended with a killer header back across the goal right before halftime. I thought Italy kinda dominated after halftime but they were only able to cut the lead in half (on a killer breakaway). Hey, man, great game, glad I stumbled on to this. 

Belgium 2-3 France

Unlike the first game, this one was wide open chaos from the get-go. Belgium found the goal first when the keeper got caught leaning the wrong way (like a baserunner getting picked off of first). Belgium connected again right before halftime on a nifty move by Lukaku to get himself open at the goal. (One could argue that the keeper probably should've saved both goals but I'd say the first one caught him off guard and the second one had some serious power on it at point blank range, neither of them were as easy as they may have looked sitting on your couch at home) Mbappe came alive in the 2nd half and found Benzema in the box, who had a perfect off-balance lefty touch in traffic, to get on the board. Then Mbappe scored the PK that tied it up (gotta say: didn't look like foul to me at first but the replay was clear that it was the right call). Lukaku had a goal waived off for off-side late (brilliant finish but he had a step on the defender, didn't he?), then Pogba doinked one off the crossbar soon after, then after all that France found the goal with a nice run up the right side leading to a cross to the other side of the field, which caught the defense all out of shape and that led to the game winner. Started crazy, ended c

crazy, good stuff in between. Another fun game.  

2021 MLB (Post-season)

I love baseball. Over the past few years, I've watched mostly just my team (the née Indians), which is closer to how I watch college sports as opposed to pro sports. But since the Indians fell out of contention fairly early this season, I turned to looking for matches between playoff-ish teams. So I got to watch a lot more of the good teams than I've seen in a while. I love baseball. 

AL

Good: Rays (they're just good, man, at all phases, not overpowering just better day in day out than most everyone else), Blue Jays (don't know how they missed the post-season, that lineup is murderous!), Astros (starting to fade but still a lot of talent), White Sox (a solid squad in a floundering division, not bad but perhaps the little brother in this post-season lineup), Yankees (felt like they were overrated and bloated, then suddenly they weren't and now they're dangerous again)

Pretty good: Red Sox (overachieved, this team is the poster for how every game matters, because they somehow finished ahead of two better teams in their division), Mariners (I feel like they overachieved this season, but they may be able to stay ahead of the Astros going forward)

Not bad: A's (still got the good eye for youth, but probably quick to pull the trigger on shipping them out), Guardians (still got pretty good pitching, I think the youth should be better next season; also, they were w/out their coach for most of the season), Angels (well, they got Ohtani and Trout, that's something)

Not good: Tigers (dangerously moving in the wrong direction, feels like they're going to overpay for aging stars rather than actually build for the future), Royals (fun fan base, not much else--dude, these guys won back to back AL pennants not that long ago), Twins (moving in the wrong direction after a few years of moving in the right direction), Rangers (floundering, used to have an eye for youth which seems to be gone now), Orioles (stuck in the wrong division)

NL

Good: Dodgers (they're on the free agent treadmill and for the last few years it's worked out for them but also they've always had a great farm system, this is a good organization and when they have the money they can always make some magic), Giants (well, honestly, I don't know what happened here, they just keep winning even though they have completely overhauled the winning sides they had earlier in the century, not sure what they're doing but it's working)

Solid above average: Brewers (good not great but they've become reliably good over the years), Braves (Cards-lite: good front offices over the years have kept the success ongoing), Cardinals (arguably the best organization in all of sports?)

Moving in the right direction: Reds (nice batch of youngsters, enough front office savvy to get the right free agents, they could be good next year)

Unpredictable big market squads: Padres, Phillies, Mets (bought into the notion that the only way to win is with buzz-y free agent signings, which will work every once in a while but not with any consistency)

Moving in the wrong direction: Nationals (they won it all, cut bait, only a matter of time before they get back into the stupid money treadmill the big market teams are on), Cubs (man, wtf? Wasn't that long ago that they were young and deep at every position with the right coach and the wonderboy GM, now they're just awful)

Bad: Marlins (no idea what they're doing), Pirates (flailing for decades with brief moments of pleasantness, but not enough), Diamondbacks (stuck in the wrong division)

AL

Yanks @ Red Sox

Well, I mean, the Yankees are the better team, probably playing better right now, too. But the Red Sox have overachieved their way to this point, why can't they just keep overachieving? Meh, I'll take the Yankees. 

White Sox @ Astros

The White Sox are on the way up (but aren't really there yet) while the Astros are on the way down (but are still top tier for now). So do the savvy vets take it or the spunky upstarts? I think the Astros have been honed by their recent troubles whereas the White Sox still feel like they're playing with house money. I'll take the Astros in 4.

(Yankees) @ Rays

These two just played and they were fairly evenly matched. But the Rays have the better pitching, which I think goes further in the post-season. I'll take the Rays in 5. 

(Astros) @ (Rays)

The Rays are the better team, I think the Astro run ends when going against the Tampa machine. Rays in 6. 

NL

Cardinals @ Dodgers

Man, the Dodgers won 106 games and they still have to a one-off game to advance? Jeez, tough year. And they gotta play the Cards--who have won 21 of their last 25. I was skeptical of the play-in game but I gotta say I love it precisely for matches like this. This is a coin flip game between two teams that could win it all and that's when baseball is at its best. I'll take the Dodgers, just because they're at home. 

Braves @ Brewers

Coin flip series, two solid squads pretty good at every phase. I'll take the home team. Brewers in 5. 

(Dodgers) @ Giants

I'm kinda shocked that MLB doesn't re-rank the teams, because Dodgers-Giants is the match you want in the NL Finals, not the semis. The Dodgers have been dominating lately and stayed dominant all year long but the Giants just win, man, they just win every time they hit the field. The idea that one of these teams isn't gonna make the final is puzzling. I understand why the Dodgers are good and I don't understand why the Giants are good, so my gut is to go with the stars (but I am probably wrong). I'll say Dodgers in 5. 

(Dodgers) @ (Brewers)

Not only do the Dodgers need a play-in game, then they'd have to play the #1 team in the Majors, then they still have to go on the road against a team that 11 fewer games (weird system you got there, MLB). I like the Brewers, they're one of those teams that have done it right over the years and I'd love to see them move on. But the Dodgers have done well, too, and they got the bigger stars, which I think will make the difference in the long run. I gotta go Dodgers in 6. 

World Series (hmmmm...would the Dodgers be back to home field advantage in the World Series?)

I got a rematch of the 2020 World Series and I'll take the same result. Dodgers in 6. I'm looking forward to all of it. I love baseball. (You know I've generally taken the better team in each series but in baseball the better team is only a 50/50 shot as opposed to most other sports--hey, man, I love baseball)

2021 US Open

Raducanu 6/6 - 4/3 Fernandez

Fun match! I didn't see much of the Ladies' side this year but I doubt I would've paid much attention to either of these girls anyway because they were both such crazy long shots, so just as well that I missed it. Fernandez was the crowd favorite who came out of nowhere to win everyone's hearts but all I saw was the Final and I gotta say: holy balls, she looks like a little child! She looks like she should be selling candy bars so her middle school soccer team can go to the state finals. The crowd (including Steve Nash) was clearly rooting for her. She moves well, big hitter, great footwork, I think she's got a future. But I was blown away by Raducanu--she's the shit! First qualifier to ever win the US Open and I don't think she's done. I was impressed with Fernandez, but Raducanu was legit better at every phase of the game. She's top ten right now. And considering the standard bearer on the women's side is Ashleigh Barty, who probably has the most all-around talent but just does not get it done in the Finals, I think Raducanu can be the next big big big star. I would be surprised if this was her last major. Great match, a lot of fun, the crowd was totally into it, always great to see new faces and I think both Fernandez and Raducanu are gonna have staying power (which should elevate this particular Final to an all-time classic). 

(2) Medvedev 6/6/6 - 4/4/4 (1) Djokovic

Yipes! I don't remember the last time I saw Djokovic just get roasted like a hog before....yeah, I've never seen that happen. Djokovic was weird all through this tournament, kept dropping sets when normally he's just a robot that crushes all comers, so I don't know what kind of funk he was in. But the fact that he was not exactly at his best in this tourney and still made the Finals (even eviscerating Zverev in the semifinal), just shows what an unholy badass he is. But, man, Medvedev came to play--and he was talking shit, whooping up the crowd, staring Djoker down--and Djokovic couldn't smooth talk his way back into this. Wow, it's amazing how far off the baseline Medvedev was hanging--holy shit, when he was in the near court, you couldn't even see him on the TV broadcast! I'm amazed that that strategy worked. You would think a craftsman like Djokovic could find the holes (he was definitely pumping drop shots whenever possible, but it wasn't enough), but Medvedev is just a such a big dude, he was tracking everything down. I like watching Medvedev, the way he unfolds as he takes his shots is funny to watch (reminds me of Utah's Joe Ingles). Is Djokovic done? Is Medvedev ready to de-throne him (seems like Zverev has shown that he is not)? We'll see, it could be Meevedev's for the foreseeable future. Good match, even Djokovic at half strength still makes for great tennis. 

2021 Gold Cup (final)

Mexico 0-1 (OT) USA (117th)

Fun game! Good back and forth action all the way through . Kinda what I thought it would be: Mexico was more confident in midfield and got to goal more regularly, but their chances weren't really any better than the USA's. USA was getting quality rather than quantity, but I still expected quantity to win out in the end. Around the 70th minute, Mexico kinda slacked, USA finished strong but couldn't find the goal before OT. I thought Mexico kinda dominated the 1st OT period then kinda disappeared in the 2nd OT. 

Set play from about 40 yards out, nicely dropped at the spot, Robinson got up, caught the keeper out of position and guided it home in the 117th minute. Nice finish. Hey, I thought the Americans were capable of stealing it but until the 2nd OT, I still expected Mexico to figure it out. 

Good W for USA. This isn't their top squad, still a level up this team can go. That may well be true for Mexico, too. I thought they handled themselves well, the relationship between USA-Mexico has always been based on the border: games in USA tend to see the Americans winning, games in Mexico City are just death to the Americans, as brutal a homecourt advantage as any I've ever seen (think Duke at Cameron Indoor against non-conference opponents). I would've thought Vegas was kinda neutral territory at this point, but USA stayed with it and got the late win, always nice to bring home the trophy. 

I think both these teams are gonna be strong next year in Qatar. The world is a suddenly weird place, USA challenging at a World Cup is not something anyone's ever seen before, I wonder if we're there yet. Ditto for Mexico, they compete well internationally but seem to sputter in the same spot, weird world, man, a bust out Mexican performance might be on the horizon. 

I feel like Mexico and USA have been through a weird reality the last 15 years or so: the individual talent keeps getting better and is vastly better compared to 15 years ago but the team play is not any more cohesive or threatening or likely to win games. I understand that the rest of the countries of the world are going through a similar thing but I still feel like USA and Mexico are positioned to develop more talent at a more reliable pace than any other country (until China figures it out). But why doesn't that translate to more wins? Why doesn't that evolution of talent bring a similar evolution of successful application of talent? What is USA soccer missing? And can Mexico significantly challenge for a World Cup before USA? Qatar is the next place we'll find out.

2021 Gold Cup (final)

USA 1-0 Qatar

As in their previous match against El Salvador, Qatar kinda dominated the 1st half with cool possession and more chances around the goal than the Americans. Both squads were exhibiting hockey style offense: just create chaos in front of the net, then fling the ball toward the goal. Qatar almost got an OG (sweet touch save by the keeper) and then just a few minutes later a flailing pass found an open striker with a clear view from the wing (another sweet touch save). The Americans had a coupla similar moments but nothing as memorable or dangerous in the 1st half. 

In the 2nd half Qatar had their chance to take control: foul in the box in the 60th minute (looked like a good no-call live and even the first coupla reviews didn't win me over, but the final replay where you could see clear contact to the left leg, as opposed to the right, and I think it was the right call), but the dude missed, beat the keeper but put it over the bar, which left the door open for the Americans. I liked bringing Zardes in around the 60th minute, I like the idea of full throttle Zardes to close out a game. Fresh legs in general won out. The Qataris just kinda ran out of gas around the 80th minute. Americans had a long stretch of pinning the Qatari defenders deep and then stealing long balls around midfield, had a handful of quick touch possessions before finally finding the goal in the 87th minute: defender lost his balance in the box, (dude) just found himself open on the wing, makes the sweet pass back to the middle to find Zardes. Nice finish, nice goal, the Americans closed really well. Qatar was the better team (probably) for most of the game, but they hadn't played a real 90 minute game yet, wasn't sure they could do it and, well, they did not. They missed their best chance to ice it and that late American goal that should've tied it up, instead sent the Qataris packing. Since they are the 2022 host country, they will be around for another year and half, may as well get used to them; they looked pretty good to me, confident in midfield, capable of a few moments of magic up front, they play like a veteran, probably won't have any major upsets, but they'll be a tough out in the World Cup. Good W for USA, especially considering this is the 2nd string. 

Mexico 2-1 Canada

Canada is playing feisty and physical in both backfields. I like it. I don't think it's gonna work but I like their aggressiveness. Mexico is fine, they're not really lighting it up but they seem more likely to score. And when they took the lead right before halftime on a late PK (I thought it was the right call), that seemed about right. 

Pretty early in the 2nd half, Canada tied up the game off a nice finish off a breakaway (I dunno, man, he looked offside to me), good rip. Mexico came back a few minutes later with a PK (I thought it was the wrong call, there's not much contact and it's barely in the box at that), but the Canadian keeper saved it  (man, that sneaking up on the ball thing dudes do is pure show and doesn't really accrue any advantage in trying to convert the shot) and the game stayed tied up. Mexico was probably better but never took control, Canada hanging around, felt like it was going to OT, where it would be anyone's game. Then, OMG! A 90+9 goal to ice it. Wow, that was fuckin' baller and a sweet goal. Mexico waited til the final second, but they made the big play, snatched the victory, weren't waiting around 

Very chippy game, lots of shoving and pushing and hold-me-back-istry at work. Normally that's not my thing but hey man, World Cup is next summer, this int'l season is probably gonna be even more elbow-y than usual, so I liked the feisty from both teams. Canada and Mexico both are normally quite reserved on the field (as are the Americans), so watching them get up in each other's grills gave it a tough guy feel that should build up to a killer World Cup 2022. I've never been as impressed with Canada as I was in this Cup, their attack was as confident as I've ever seen, good pace, clever D, pugnacity on the field, this is a new Canada. Mexico is a nice team, they always compete well with the Europeans and Brazil, they're gonna be tough out for the next coupla years.

Finals (Sunday)

Mexico v USA

I dunno. With both of these squads the offense just sorta appears, there's no real consistency to either, though both teams are confident on D and in the midfield. I dunno. I guess I expect Mexico to be more likely to get scoring chances, whether to finish a corner or just find a good shot in the run of play, indeed I'd even favor Mexico in a shoot out, so I really don't see USA taking this. And yet I wouldn't be surprised if it was USA that got lucky on a set play and stole it. An early goal might make for the maximum amount of excitement: like the Euro Final, an early goal puts the other team in hero ball mode a lot sooner than planned and that often translates to more goals in a Final. I think it'll be a fun game, USA is not at their best but they can hang with Mexico, but Mexico strikes me as more likely to get the Cup.

2021 NBA Draft (mock)

1. Pistons -- Cade Cunningham (Okla St)

By this point it seems clear that the mocks all prefer Cunningham and the Pistons don't seem to want to trade down. Okay. If he's that great, totally worth it, great pick. I like youth movements and that Pistons roster is youthful, I'll be watching a lot of them next year, I'm rooting for him, I think it's a good fit, seems like a ROY favorite. 

2. Rockets -- Evan Mobley (Southern Cal)

I dunno, he did not impress me in the NCAA tourney and that's all I've seen of him, perhaps that just wasn't his best two weeks. I get the upside: his game suggests he could rock the rim like Anthony Edwards, while still being a stout rim protector and that should be just fine for the Rockets. This doesn't make the Rockets any good, their youth movement hasn't actually taken shape yet which may be good (Mobley has plenty of room to develop his game) or bad (lack of winning can make players go crazy). I'm rooting for all these guys to be awesome, Mobley being a bust out badass for the Rockets might work, they've got a few years of rebuilding ahead (but the Rockets are natural born wheeler-dealers, so the faster Mobley becomes a star, the quicker the Rockets get back in the trade game). 

3. Cavs -- Jalen Green (G-League)

Green is probably not the guy they want (but Suggs ain't either), as they've already got a glut of combo guards, but maybe more is better. Green strikes me as the type of ball handling attacker that's going to dominate possessions, maybe designing an attack built around nothing but dudes like that can work (I've never seen it but I'm willing to give it a try). The Cavs are in a weird spot: Kevin Love has got to go, probably some of the other core players (hmmm....perhaps even pick #3...), too. The team has some nice players but there's no shape to it at all, if Green turns into the kind of leader he can be, perhaps he whips this team into shape. Could happen (...but I doubt it, probably he just moves right into the pile of players that need a change of scenery--and he hasn't even gotten there yet!). I'd be afraid if I was a Cavs fan, if Mobley falls that would be ideal. 

4. Raptors -- Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga)

I really dug Suggs in the tourney, he was a badass with the ball and controlling the tempo of the game, he had the senses of a winner. Does that translate to the pros? Yeah, I think it does. It'll take him a while to adjust to winning at the next level but the Raptors is probably a good spot for him: good rotational culture gives touches to everyone and for as much as people want to carve up that roster, I think they're still a pretty good team in the East and I think Suggs goes right into their rotation and handles himself just fine. I don't see him a bust out star as rookie, but a solid contributor, I think he's likely to maintain his good looking prospect-ness going into next summer and could get some ROY votes.

(Calling an audible. Magic trades #5 to Suns (*))

5. (SUNS) -- Alperen Sengun (Turkey)

Sure, why not? The buzz on this kid is pretty similar to Giannis: the you-gotta-see-this-guy that's so fuckin' dominant that you just doubt what you're looking at. Somebody's gonna take a chance on Sengun, it may well be the Magic at #5 (though more likely #8). If the Suns were going to make the move on from CP (which they, of course, are not, I'm just amusing myself here), Sengun might be the guy they have their eye on, even though Sengun has mostly been graded in 2nd rd territory, he's the one that someone's gonna reach on. He may be awesome (hey, I'm rooting for him), if so then I'd think he could work with Booker, Ayron and co. (Chris Duarte (Oregon) is the other guy I could see the Suns nabbing)

6. Thunder -- Scottie Barnes (Florida St)

Athletic combo guard that defends multiple positions, sounds good to me. This is the kinda guy that every team needs, the Thunder need him just like everybody else. I think the Thunder would do well to get Barnes at #6. Barnes doesn't make the Thunder any good, but the Thunder are eager to suck for at least one more year (maybe two, Thunder fans). So develop the youth, throw Barnes in the mix, lose a bunch of games, throw another top 10 pick in next year, then try to grab the right veteran leaders. Like Suggs, I don't see Barnes being a bust out star but I do expect him to be a reliable rotation guy right away. 

7. Warriors (**) --  Jonathon Kuminga (G League)

Sounds like he's an amazing athlete-but-can-he-play-guy. Feels like Coach Kerr, Draymond, and Steph will teach him how to play, so while he probably won't help right away, I think bringing Wiseman along with Kuminga should get some worthwhile playing time. I think the Warriors could build some great depth in this draft. I get that #7 is a delicious trade bait, but I think they can find worthwhile roster additions here. 

8. Magic -- Franz Wagner (Michigan)

This might be a little bit of a reach for Wagner, but he is prized for his defense first and the Magic are already young and deep at every position, it feels like the Magic are well positioned to give Wagener rotation time right away, which is probably exactly what he needs. If he can play D, then he can play, that's how it works in today's NBA (if he can knock down shot, damn he might be a star). I dunno, the Magic can really take just about anyone at #8, they're still gonna be insanely young and deep at every position. They're probably aiming for Kuminga to fall. They need anything and everything and nothing at all.

9. Kings -- Jalen Johnson (Duke)

Yeah, this is probably a reach but I got feeling that Johnson is the one that falls and should not  have and since the Kings need any/everything, why not reach? (In my mock Sungun is already off the board, but the Kings at #9 are a good bet to grab him in real life; or Zhaire Williams (Stanford))  

10 Grizzlies (in the guise of the Pelicans) -- Keon Johnson (Tennessee)

Not sure what the Grizzlies are looking for at the moment. Moving off Valenciunas for Adams suggests to me that they're planning on keeping Adams (while I suspect they've got a buyer for Bledsoe). I don't see a core need, Memphis is actually coming along nicely, the attack built around Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks looks pretty good actually, Johnson gives them a healthy dose of D and athleticism off the bench. (Already starting to lose my grasp on these players). 

11 Hornets --  Corey Kispert (Gonzaga)

The big white kid is still on the board? Dude, you know he's going to Charlotte.

12 Spurs -- Davion Mitchell (Baylor)

The perfect Spur (tough, hard working, disciplined, over acheiver) but arrives into a crowded backcourt. Probably take him a while to get off the bench--which seems counterintuitive with the older Mitchell--but I think he'll be good down the line. 

13 Pacers -- Usman Garuba (Real Madrid)

Another reach! Garuba has been getting more buzz lately, I think the Pacers take their shot on a foreign star (who may not think Indianapolis is so bad). 

14 Warriors -- James Bouknight (UConn)

If the Warriors end up with Kuminga and Bouknight to go with Wiseman, then I think no one looks back and wonders why they didn't trade for (imaginary superstar). 

15 Wizards -- Moses Moody (Arkansas)

Seems like Moody should go higher than #15. I have enough reaches so far to ensure that the Wizards draft him on ranking alone. 

16 Thunder -- Miles McBride (West Virginia)

McBride will either be a bust ass rotation guy or out of the league by the end of the first contract. Two other dudes I said this about on draft day: Joakim Noah and Frank Kaminsky. So is McBride closer to Noah (worked out with the right situation) or Kamisnky (exposed as not that good)? I'll say Noah because I'm trying to imagine the upside of all these guys), if so, the youth movement (Dort, Pokusevksy, Barnes, McBride) will get off to a nice start (and add in a few more picks next year).  

17 Pelicans (through Grizzlies) -- Chris Duarte (Oregon St)

The Pelicans don't need stars, they need hustlers. Duarte is an older gentlemen but seems as day 1 ready as anyone in this draft. A defensive swing man that can contribute right away is perfect for Team Zion. (***)

18 Thunder -- Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

I loved Juzang in the tourney (and wasn't disappointed at all by his time at Kentucky). Juzang is either a star or a flame out, either way he's going big. The Thunder are eager to lose next year anyway, so #18 is about taking a swing. Juzang might have the widest variance between floor and ceiling, an intriguing option. 

19 Knicks -- BJ Boston (Kentucky)

This will definitely strike most as a reach. But coming out of high school (12 long months ago), Boston was amongst Cunningham, Green and Mobley at the top of the recruits. A lackluster year at Kentucky (hey, man, Covid wrecked their whole process) looks like it might doom him to the 2nd round (****), but the Knicks are obsessed with UK guys and though they probably think they can get him with #32, I bet the Knicks go ahead and keep the Blue wave rolling. 

20 Hawks -- Zhaire Williams (Stanford)

Williams is a polarizing prospect: looked like such money in high school but a terrible year at Stanford, so which is it? His size is intriguing and if his game comes together, he could be a for-real stud. If he drops to #20 I can see the Hawks taking a flyer on him because his upside seems pretty crazy. (I can also see them taking Jared Butler (Baylor), they could use some defensive toughness at 2nd string PG).

21 Knicks -- Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky)

Yup, another Wildcat reach at #21. The Knicks have clearly gone all in on Kentucky guys--and I think that's a smart move! You may think these Boston at #19 and Jackson at #21 are too desperate, but I think they're both good athletes, underrated players coming off a disappointing season, I think the Knicks would do well to grab these guys early. (Again, they may wait if they think they can get Jackson at #32)

22 Lakers -- Cameron Thomas (Louisiana St)

Supposedly a do it all PG, we'll see if that fits in LA. (You know the Lakers have actually drafted really well over the last 10 years or so (*****), I bet the draft magic fades now that Lebron is there; just a stray thought) I can also see them taking a flyer on Kai Jones (Texas), though, the Lakers didn't typically do 'flyers'.

23 & 24 Rockets -- Jared Butler (Baylor), Kai Jones (Texas)

May as well take two local college stars (er, sorta). Butler is a ball hawking, athletic PG, coming off a championship, always nice to have and Jones is a project but an intriguing one. But the Rockets already have Christian Wood and (presumably) Evan Mobley? No prob, Jones isn't gonna play at all til the second year anyway. Jones may turn out to be nothing but frustrating but this is a good position to take a swing on potential. 

25 Clippers -- Tre Mann (Florida St)

26 Nuggets -- Nah'shan Hyland (Virginia Commonwealth)

27 Nets -- Jaden Springer (Tennessee)

28 76ers -- Ayo Dosunmo (Illinois)

29 Suns -- Trey Murphy (Virginia)

30 Jazz -- Joel Ayayi (Gonzaga)

Meh, in some years I spot a guy or two in the 2nd round that looks intriguing to me. But this year I'm just going to bat for the Kentucky guys (Boston, Jackson), they didn't have ideal seasons but they're still plenty talented and maybe there's something likable about the hunger they'll be bringing. More than that, though, I think the top 24 or so is actually pretty good. I think this looks to be a deep draft, a lot of good rotation guys in this draft and few potential superstars. But maybe thinner in the 2nd round than usual. I dunno, we'll see. 

(*) Magic get Jalen Smith ($4.2m), Frank Kaminsky ($1.6.m expiring), Chris Paul ($41.3m) (with CP's proviso to negotiate a 3yr extension); Suns get #5 pick, Otto Porter ($28.4 expiring), Markelle Fultz ($12.3m), Wendell Carter ($5.4m). Yeah...this'll never happen for a million reasons, but I'd do it. 

(**) If the right deal comes along, then sure the Warriors should trade #7 and/or Wiseman and/or #14 but only for the right star. I don't see that guy out there and I think Wiggins is underappreciated. I think the Warriors should look to build around Wiseman and #7 (and hopefully #14, too) going forward. I don't think adding random vets to Steph and co. is the way to maximize their longevity, I think steadily drafting young players around them could work better. I'd rather rely on Steph, Klay and Draymond to build an expectation of awesome-ness for the next generation rather than chase vets which just warps their roster and salary cap forever. 

(***) Now that the Pelicans have freed up cap room, they should re-sign Lonzo Ball. But if that falls through (seems like Lonzo could be one of the prime plums this summer), I would suggest not spending the windfall or some star. Rather they should target lunch pail types that are gonna come in and give service to the star. Free agent targets (my suggestion): Cam Payne, Jeff Teague, Irsan Ilyasova, Taylor Horton-Tucker, Jarred Vanderbilt, Timothe Luwawu. Payne is actually gonna want big money, Pelicans should offer 3yr/$42m, it's a good deal to play with the next big star of the league. Teague and Ilyasova are worth 2nd string money, Vanderbilt and Luwawu are undervalued players just waiting to be had, Tucker brings the pedigree (re: working alongside Lebron). Zion doesn't need a splashy star, he needs hustlers and role players! Buying him the shiny toy is gonna be a waste of money, keep a steady diet of reliable toys around. 

(****) I think the teams of the NBA would be making a serious mistake if they let the World Champion Bucks get Boston at #31. 

(*****) Laker draft picks since 2014: Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, Larry Nance, Anthony Brown, Brandon Ingram, Ivaca Zubac, Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley, Mo Wagner, Svi Mykhailiuk, De'Andre Hunter. Would you rather have a roster built around those guys or the Bucks's picks since 2014: Jabari Parker, Damien Inglis, Johnny O'Bryant, Lamar Patterson, Rashad Vaughn, Thon Maker, Malcolm Brogdon, DJ Wilson, Donte Di Vincenzo (oh, and traded Norman Powell, RJ Hampton, Kevin Porter and Sindarius Thornwell on draft day). Still think the World Champion Bucks were 'homegrown'? 

2021 Gold Cup Quarterfinals (predictions)

Qatar v El Salvador. Uhh....no idea. Qatar (the 2022 World Cup host) is a team worth getting to know, you will definitely see them next summer (next summer?) at the World Cup. But I didn't see any of their group games, so I got nothing. El Salvador seems like a pushover squad, but they've always got one pain in the ass dude that will steal your game if you left him. So I'll go ahead and say El Salvador 1-0. 

Mexico v Honduras. This one should be fun. I caught Mexico's draw with Trinidad (even contest, both teams had chances and whiffed) and Honduras 3-2 Panama was a fun one, lots of action all over the field. Over the years, as I've gotten ever more impressed with Mexico's on-field talent, I get less impressed with their overall team play; the steady accretion of talent has yet to make the team overall better (just like USA). Mexico is surely the better team at probably just about every position, but I doubt the talent gap is wide enough that Honduras can't snatch a W. I'll take Mexico but I expect this to be an old fashioned tussle. I'll say Mexico 2-1.  

Canada v Costa Rica. Canada's talent has steadily developed over the years but Canadian soccer has never struck fear into anyone. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, Suriname and Jamaica to get here, not the most overwhelming lineup but they knocked down everyone put in front of them. I gotta go with Costa Rica 2-0. 

USA v Jamaica. Like Mexico, USA had steadily improved its soccer development infrastructure over the last 20 years but I don't feel any grand shift in strategy or tactics, if the talent is so much better, why aren't we seeing it on the field? Jamaica always has speed and surprise but USA should be able to outlast them. I'll say USA 1-0.

(*) Pretty basic observations. I watched all the USA group games and a handful of others, but I'm not back on my soccer game just yet. How is World Cup '22 going to happen? Is the Sport schedule back on track...or did I celebrate prematurely?

2021 Euro/Copa Finals

Peru 2-3 Colombia

Fun game! The danger here was that either Colombia would mail it in or that Peru just wouldn't be up to putting on a show. Neither of those scenarios came to pass, although it took Colombia a while to get going. Peru was up 1-0 at halftime because they were able to stretch Colombia's defense out of shape and took advantage with a sick strike the keeper couldn't get to. Colombia, on the other hand, could not find its way through Peru's defense in the 1st half, but stepped up their game after halftime. They tied it up early on a sweet free kick from about 25 yards out (just snuck through the wall, man) and took the lead after a brilliant kick out pass from goalie to forward. Peru snuck in a corner late, felt like PK's were coming. But Colombia connected on a brilliant rip from outside the box in extra time, to steal the W. Great finish to a really fun game. The 2nd half was non-stop action, lot of good rips on goal, some good saves, too.  

Argentina 1-0 Brazil

Compared to the 3rd place game, the Championship seemed rather subdued. Both teams played well but both defenses really kept the danger at bay. Except for one play, when the Brazilian defense got beat over the top by DiMaria, who had way too much time and space to leisurely float it over the keeper, neither team really came close to cracking the backline. Oh, a moment or two here and there (Brazil had a goal taken off for offside--the correct call--and Messi had a wide open look late that he just fell asleep on), but considering the sheer amount of hall of famers on the field, there was surprisingly little danger and it never really felt like anyone was gonna take control of the match. Not surprised that one goal is all it took, but the play itself was a weird brain fart of the Brazilian D, in an otherwise air-tight match. 

England 1-2 (PKs) Italy

Wow! What an opener for the English, barely even settled into their seats and they score on their first possession, while the Italian defense is still getting warmed up. The rest of the 1st half was a bit of a snooze, England kept trying to establish control, Italy had a coupla so-so chances. England scoring so quick, though, pushed Italy into hero ball much earlier than they had anticipated, which I thought made the 2nd half kinda exciting. England didn't attack much, Harry Kane, for example, I thought was mostly invisible. That could be because the Italian back line was outstanding (long a wall of Draymond Greens!) or it could be because England was just half-assing their way to OT. The PK's did not go well for England, but that's just how PK's go, man, the trick is to not be in the situation. Both teams played well throughout the tourney and the Final was a good one. Great win for Italy! 

2021 Stanley Cup Finals

Lightning over Canadiens in 5

All I saw was Game Four and Game Five and I gotta say, the Lightning were the vastly superior squad in both matches, not at all surprised they were able to repeat. 

In Game Four, I thought the Lightning straight dominated the 1st period but the Canadiens got the goal and were up 1-0. In the 2nd period, I thought the Canadiens straight dominated but the Lightning got the goal and the match was tied. The 3rd period was great back and forth action, each team scored and when the Lightning failed to get the decisive goal during a long power play at the end of regulation, I thought they really missed on an opportunity to finish the series. They were still unable to capitalize in the OT and the Canadiens were able to poke one in to win 3-2 and stayed alive. 

In Game Five, man, the Canadiens never came close to looking like they were gonna score. It was a defensive struggle and though the Lightning attack wasn't particularly scintillating either, they were able to steal the goal needed to finish the series. The Canadien power play was just awful--awful!--even with a man advantage they couldn't maintain possession much less push forward to attack.

I watched not a lot of hockey this season but if you told me that the Tampa Bay Lightning were the best team and the deserving champion, I'd have to agree. They looked so much stronger than the Canadiens in the handful of games I saw. 

2021 Euro/Copa Quarterfinals (Day 2)

Euro 

Denmark 2-1 Czech Republic

Denmark scored early, added another before halftime and even though Czechia got on the board soon after the break, this never felt like much of a contest to me. Denmark controlled the ball and attacked more effectively throughout. 

England 4-0 Ukraine

Yeah, this game was the blowout the score would indicate. England scored early and held a 1-0 lead at the half. Soon after they added another on a corner kick (looked offside to me live but the replay showed it was a good goal), then another and the game felt over. When England added a fourth soon after, it felt like everyone was gonna score. Too bad for Ukraine, they made a valiant run but this England side is really good. 

Copa America

Uruguay 0-1 (PK) Colombia

Fun game! Back and forth action, chippy at times but both teams had good chances and attacked effectively. And, uh, did I miss something? No over time? They went striaght to penalty kicks. Oh well, still fun. Was Colombia the better team? Not really, both teams were pretty even really. 

Argentina 3-0 Ecuador

This (unlike the England match earlier in the day) was not a blowout til very late in the game. I thought Ecuador handled themselves well and particularly in the 1st half seemed more dangerous around the goal than the Argentines. Indeed, Argentina first goal (before halftime) was an unfortunate bit of defense: goalie came out of the box to clear the ball, didn't get there and got caught in no man's land. In the 2nd half Argentina attacked more confidently but it was only because of another defensive lapse (defender simply had a bad first touch on a pass from the keeper) that Argentina was able to cement the game. The third goal (in extra time) was another textbook Messi free kick that came after a perfect pass over the top caught di Maria in stride and the defender had to take him down. The score line doesn't show it but Ecuador played pretty well but a handful of mistakes doomed them. 

2021 Euro/Copa Quarterfinals (Day 1)

 Good day of soccer watching! Three more to go!

Euro

Switzerland 1-2 (PK) Spain

Spain scored early (8th) on a 'hockey' goal: shot ricocheted off a defender behind the keeper and snuck in the goal. Obviously most every goal in a soccer match is a game changer, but for Spain to score so quick changed the whole shape of each team's attack. Spain was now allowed to play their ball control game and now Switzerland had to press forward. I thought the game was fairly even and when Switzerland tied it up (68th), it felt like we were back to the OT finish I figured we'd get all along. In OT, Spain straight dominated--dang, thought the Swiss keeper was a mad man, he made a ton of great saves. The shootout was weird, seems like neither team wanted to win. Switzerland wanted to win less, I guess, because Spain is moving on. 

Belgium 1-2 Italy

Italy balled out, I thought they were the better team from beginning to end. Their attack was more sustained, their possession in the midfield was better and their full court press defense (especially in the 2nd half) made it hard for Belgium to get across midfield. Belgium just never developed any cohesion on offense. When Italy got the 2nd goal, it felt like the game was over. Belgium was able to get a PK before halftime and made it interesting--fun game, but Italy was the better team and Belgium just couldn't get it going. 

Copa America

Peru 4-3 (PK) Paraguay

I thought Paraguay was generally the better team but it was a fun match, full court action up and down the field. I actually missed the shootout (oh well), but Peru is moving on and I guess that's fine. 

Brazil 1-0 Chile

I didn't bother to make predictions on the Copa because, well, the prediction is basically when/if Brazil is going to lose and I didn't think they would. But Chile is perhaps the team most likely to do it (I kinda feel like that Argentine squad is a little long in the tooth to get the job done). This match started out chippy and the 1st half was mostly a slog. It settled down a little before halftime then the chippiness reemerged right after the break as Brazil scored on their first possession and then got a red card almost immediately after. Generally I felt like this was a midfield battle, never really felt like there were many great chances around the goal for either team. But Brazil converted their one clear chance, Chile was declared offside on their one converted shot, and there you have it, Brazil is moving on.

2021 NBA Pointless Trade Idea

Thunder get: Kristaps Porzingis (3yr/$100m); Mavericks get: Al Horford (2yr/$53.5m), Gabriel Deck (3yr/$11m/mostly non-guaranteed) 

Personally I think Al Horford took too much shit for his time in Philly--that team was a trainwreck and they overhyped their signing of a dude that wasn't really right for them. And in OKC the fear was he might actually win some games and was promptly sent home. I think Horford is ready to win, I think he's a solid do-what-it-takes crafty veteran, I think he fits with Coach Carlisle and Luka, I think he can do the middle of the lane game that Luka had going with Boban in the playoffs. Granted he's a little pricey but he's way cheaper than Porzingis, who has already shown he can't hang, and he's only on the hook for two more years rather than three. As for Deck, I have no idea who he is or what he does, but his contract looks to be very disposable, so if he fits keep him (if not, see ya). (*) This move brings back a player that can be useful as opposed to attaching assets to dumpe Porzingis. 

For the Thunder, they have no desire to win for the next two years anyway, so a wildly overpriced bust is perfect for them. Dallas needs a place to bury this body and OKC is open for business! I know this sounds glib but their eye is on the 2022 draft: OKC's pick is top 14 protected (they will absolutely suck, so that's a top 5 pick); they have the Lakers unprotected 1st rd pick (obviously the dream scenario is AD and Lebron both get hurt, the team goes into a tailspin and OKC is gifted another top 10 pick); and the Suns's top-13 protected pick (this should be, like #25, not great but not nothing). So for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort are keepers, Bazeley, Pokusevski, Jerome, Maledon and Kenrich Williams are probably just filler but they've got two seasons to figure it out. 

The Thunder plan going forward: for 2021-22, let SGA become an all-star, let Porzingis do whatever (as long as it doesn't win games), pump Dort for DPOY or 6th Man, see if Pokusevki can hang, see what they got with the 2021 pick (say, Jonathon Kuminga), see if anyone blossoms from the bench. Roll heavy into the 2022 draft, run it all back in 2022-23, then give SGA a bunch of money, ride out the Porzingis contract, hope the youth movement pans out while holding a gajillion 1st rd picks. Winning any games at all next season would just be a waste of time and that will likely carry over another year after that, too. 

Horford is too useful to just not play in OKC, whereas Porzingis is precisely the kinda guy that looks like a star but won't damage the draft prospects. Win-win, don't even need to add 2nd rd picks or any of that crap, if I was Dallas I'd call this in right now. 

(*) Does this move keep them from re-signing Tim Hardaway? I don't think it affects Hardawy. It might keep them from bringing back JJ Reddick, Boban Marjanovic and/or Niccolo Melli....is that a problem? I'm not sure. Porzingis is the problem, not what replaces him. 

2021 Champions League Final

Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea

Not sure why I was so lazy about writing about the Champions League this year, I watched every game since the Round of 16. I thought the winner of Bayern/Paris St. Germaine in the quarters would yield the winner of the tourney, but PSG couldn't get past Man City and that was that. Going into this I didn't see much difference between the two teams, both good squads capable of scoring goals.

Man City came out dominating the time of possession but they never seemed any more dangerous around the goal than Chelsea did playing a defensive shell with an aggressive counter attack. 

Chelsea was able to hook up on a counter pass up the middle right before halftime. Left forward made a run up the sideline dragging his defender out of an offside trap position, Kai Harvertz makes a run up the middle, beautiful pass from the defender (think Brady hitting Gronk over the middle), able to juke the goalie (hmmm....handball on the keeper?), pitched it into an empty net. A thing of beauty. I love goals right before halftime.  And that's all it took. 

As for Chelsea's game plan: look, I'm okay with playing Timo Werner, I've watched a lot of Bundesliga and I know that dude can score, but he hasn't been hot lately and it seems to me you'd rather have the more talented ball handler (Pulisic) to run the counter. Chelsea's plan all along was a sagging defense looking to fast break, seems like Pulisic is the best guy to run that for you, not sure why he wasn't in there the whole time. Yes, I get it: they scored before he got in and didn't score with him (although he should've). 

Both teams got a fair amount of shots, a fair amount of decent looks at goal but just the one goal got converted. The defense was tight. I thought Man City finally found something in trying to get Raheem Sterling loose on the left wing. But then around the 65th minute, they subbed him out right when they were ready to spring him. Oh well. I know he's been injured lately but he was quite John Wall-like in his absurd bursts of speed away from the defender. If they could've got that same kind of action from Aguero, then that move would've made sense. Also, de Bruyne took a tough shot, left out looking all woozy. 

Felt bad that Pulisic (subbed in around the 65th minute) wasn't able to finish on that breakaway. Man, he had the keeper beat, lotta goal to shoot at, oof, that one hurts. 

From beginning to end the game was all about Chelsea's defense parrying Man City's attack, getting lucky on one counter and making it stand up. Thought Man City's best bet was finding Sterling up the wing but they never made it happen. 

Good final, good tournament, once it gets to the quarters it's all bad ass squads. 

2021 PGA Championship (Ol' Phil Mickelson)

My favorite part of Phil Mickelson's win at the PGA this weekend was the fact that absolutely no one saw it coming. He played well at the Masters, was a fun watch, and when he was really great on Thursday, I was hopeful. When he was great again on Friday, I was slightly more hopeful. He was good on Saturday, the leader going into Sunday, I was still hopeful. But I never felt anything more than just vaguely hopeful until the back nine on Sunday when Koepka and Oosthuizen just kinda melted away. 

Great win, fun watch. On the one hand it was a rather muted Major, on the other hand we got to watch Phil for 72 holes, which hasn't happened in a while. Nice. 

In the course of recalling that the oldest previous PGA championship winner was Old Tom Morris, Jim Nance said it: "Old Phil". I dunno if Phil liked it but I dug it and I guarantee it's gonna stick. I remember Phil as a young fan favorite that couldn't win the big one and now to crown him the oldest Major champion of all time caps the career of the greatest golfer of his generation....right? (*) 

(*) Nah, Tiger is still the man even with all his weird ups and downs. But Phil is a close--and getting closer--second place.

2021 NBA Pointless Trade Idea

(This would technically be for next year, as I'm using 2021-22 payroll here. I believe, though, this could be executed as soon as the Championship is done in that free for all few period before the draft (although I might be wrong about that). At any rate, this isn't for right now but for the summer.)

Cavs get: Brandon Ingram (4yr/$130m), Eric Bledsoe (2yr/$37-ish), Steven Adams (2yr/$34m)

Pelicans get: Kevin Love (2yr/$60m), Taurean Prince (1yr/$15m), Larry Nance (2yr/$20m), Cedi Osman (3yr/$21-ish)

I gotta say: this is totally motivated by the frustration of watching Ingram try to ballhog on Zion, who is the most unstoppable offensive force in the league right now. Zion is James Harden, but fun to watch. Trying to pair him with Ingram is just going to make my head hurt. You're not getting rid of Zion, so how do you move on from Ingram?

If the Cavs believe that Ingram can be the kind of scorer that Ingram's contract suggest he can, then it'll be worth it to pair him with Garland and Sexton for the long term. Add in Jarrett Allen, then rotate vets for defense, bench, assists, corner 3's, etc., and that's a promising nucleus. 

Also, the Cavs get off their four biggest contracts: an overpaid vet who needs a change a scenery, a nice wing defender on an expiring contract, an exciting down low defender that isn't really part of the future plans, a nice but unspectacular SG (that needs a change of scenery). So no big loss on or off the court. Does getting back two crappy vets (Bledsoe and Adams) make it worth it? I'd say it does. Adams is making a cringe-inducing $27m this year, but that goes down to two years of $17m each next year; not great, but not uncommonly expensive. As for Bledsoe, the second year of his deal isn't guaranteed, making his $18.1 due next year into a (sorta) expiring deal which might be attractive to some playoff squad (*). In both cases, they can still give you minutes and if they get crowded out by the youth movement, then so be it. So instead of 2yrs to Love and Nance and 3yrs to Osman, it's now just 1 year of Bledsoe and maybe 2 years of Adams in order to lock down a good young scorer for 4yrs. This move would be decisive for the Cavs, if you think Ingram can be a top flight scorer (eh, it's possible) and that he meshes with Garland and/or Sexton (also possible), then this shores up their future core, along with Jarrett Allen. And it gets them off declining contracts in favor of workable contracts while ushering out the old world, ushering in the new.

The Pelicans get rid of Ingram (he has to go) and Bledsoe (don't need him, he can go) and Adams (best years are probably behind him), to bring some help for Zion. Kevin Love needs a rebuild, to be rejuvenated and a defensive wingman that can go get rebounds and knock down a 3 is exactly what Zion needs. Larry Nance provides defensive help and a fun offensive partner for Zion to work with. Taurean Prince gives worthwhile minutes off the bench if nothing else (and is very trade-able). Cedi Osman is an Evan Fournier-ish SG can that knock down 3's on the move. These all are better for Zion than Ingram (ball hog), Bledsoe (unreliable), or Adams (clogs the middle). Also, I think these are more trade-able contracts as they mature, so nothing is locked in as much as Ingram is now. 

I know this deal looks like trading too much for too much, but the numbers are eerily perfect (Pelicans $64.5m/Cavs $64.9m) and I really do think the potential of these players and these contracts benefits the opposite teams more than the current ones. Also I feel like both teams are making a roughly equal gamble: is Ingram worth the long term money and can Love be a top flight player again? They're both currently coming up with negative answers but they could swap their questions to find new answers.  

I like this deal, I think it benefits both teams, make sense for all the players and the contract situations should transfer nicely. Call it in. 

(*) It's only a matter of time before Bledsoe ends up back with the Clippers, don't ya think? $18m for the new Lou Williams? Totally sounds like something the Clipper brass can talk themselves into. 

2021 Masters

I'm really not much of a golf guy, I've got enough sports going on. But I love the Masters and I like really digging into it the way I just dug into the NCAA tourney. Something about springtime makes me want to appreciate nature from indoors. On Thursday and Friday I watched ESPN+ for holes 4,5,6 and then 15,16. It's an interesting way to watch, to perch at a coupla holes and watch everybody that passes through rather than following a specific group or getting random highlights from around the whole course. On Saturday and Sunday, I mostly watched the CBS coverage (seeing new holes was liked I unlocked the next level of the game!), but I'd go back to the ESPN+ from time to time. 

On Thursday, Justin Rose killed it on the back nine, jumped out to the early -7 lead. He had the best Thursday and he rode that to a top-10 finish. Nice work.

Hideki Matsuyama (*spoiler alert* the dude that won) was there at (-3), as was Will Zalatoris (-2) just behind him. I don't watch much golf, gotta admit, I didn't know either of these dudes. But they were both better on Saturday than Friday and that's why they were both still in it on Sunday. 

On Friday, Zalatoris was really good again, Tony Finau made a run, and Justin Rose just kinda hung around. Matsuyama was under par but didn't really shine out. Bubba Watson and Tommy Fleetwood were the two that I felt might make a run but neither of them ever really got into the mix.  

Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory, and Patrick Cantlay were some of the heavier hitters that didn't make the cut. Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau made the cut but never really felt like they were gonna make a run. 

On Saturday, there was a rain delay of a coupla hours in the middle of the afternoon. The early golfers had already finished, so this mostly just hit the top of the table guys. After the delay, Matusyama went nuts on the back nine. Something about the rain changed up those greens and he was murdering his approach shots, sticking 'em on the green like Eastern European gymnasts. It was on the back nine on Saturday where he ran off left everybody. 

Schauffele was good, too, on Saturday, not as good as Matsuyama but pretty much, along with Zalatoris, the only one that had a shot at catching up with Matsuyama. 

Worst final round: Francesco Molinari. Ahhh, man, got off to a bad start and just looked like he wanted to be just about anywhere but playing golf on this day. He was rough to watch. 

On Sunday, I gotta admit: I didn't think Matsuyama would hold up. I thought, like Justin Rose on Thursday, he just got hot at the right time and he wouldn't be able to hold it. In my defense, he did go +1 for the day and when he bogeyed the 1st hole, I thought the collapse was coming. But he righted the ship and shot quite well, extending his lead for a while, and even his bogey on the 18th was pure defense, the smart play to use the cushion to avoid a bigger mistake. He really clamped down on Sunday and it was an impressive win. I didn't think he was gonna do it and he flat the fuck out did. 

Unfortunately, Matsuyama dominated so well that the only real moment of drama on Sunday was Xander Schauffele going in the drink on 16. At -10 he was really the only one that had a shot at catching Matsuyama and he had to make a big play at 16. Hey, man, ESPN+ showed me all week long that 16 was murdering people and I figured Matsuyama would play it safe, maybe even give up a stroke. Schauffele thought he had a chance to make up ground and he went for it...and it did not work. He rolled off into the water (a recurring image of the 2021 Masters) and his +3 on 16 knocked him out of the running. 

I was really impressed with Will Zalatoris, a dude I had never heard of before. That guy was in it to win it all the way and I respected that. He was kinda up and down, especially down the stretch but he hit some big shots, thought he acquitted himself admirably. Jon Rahm went hog nutty on Sunday, shooting -6 after going E in each of the first three rounds (a kinda strange accomplishment); he had the newborn kid thing going, maybe it kept him cautious during the week allowing him to rip it on Sunday. Good stuff! It got him a top 5 finish when I otherwise didn't much notice him. Jordan Spieth tied for 3rd....uh, I don't remember even seeing him once throughout the whole thing (how does that happen?).  

Phil Mickelson was fun to watch throughout, not like he was gonna turn up on Sunday but he had a coupla nice runs in him on Friday and Saturday. And I dug seeing Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazabal ("a delightful man" the ESPN+ commentators pointed out...about 100 hundred times in the two minutes he was on screen) and Bernhard Langer, dudes that were around when I was a kid.

Felt like more of a crowd than I've seen on TV in a while, and that's encouraging.

2021 NCAA Final Four (the after)

(2) Houston 59-78 (1) Baylor

Houston started slow, Baylor just kept hitting shots. Not a bad game, Baylor took control quickly and kinda squelched out Houston. Good run for Houston, good season, they dominated most everyone they played til the Final Four, that's not bad. 

Baylor is good, man, I'm really beginning to appreciate what good on-ball defenders they are and what good shooters they are. They're a surprisingly deep squad, too. 

(11) UCLA 90-93 (OT) (1) Gonzaga

Amazing game! Back and forth, buzzer beater finish, two good scoring squads just wailin' on each other for 45 mins. Everyone played well, everyone shot well, every possession was fascinating. A great game, a great watch. UCLA caps a long strange trip just missing a shot at the Championship. 

Gonzaga shows all the doubters that they can hang with anyone, that being pushed won't destroy them. 

(1) Baylor 86-70 (1) Gonzaga

Going in, I thought Baylor would be the toughest team Gonzaga has seen all season (perhaps in many seasons), a team that would not shrink from the undefeated #1 team, everyone's pick to win it all, and would score enough to hang no matter how well Gonzaga executed. I wouldn't have been shocked by Baylor stealing it late, but I figured Gonzaga would control throughout, even if the game felt tighter than anything they've had in a while. I still felt Gonzaga would handle Baylor and (most likely) outscore them. Gonzaga really is good; Baylor has a lot of good athletes; but I figured Gonzaga's ball movement would create more quick shots and Gonzaga would win on volume and free throws. 

Yeah, it took about two minutes to chuck the pre-game forecast out. Baylor came to play. That on-ball defense shook Gonzaga and the way Baylor was drilling 3's and getting offensive rebounds, it felt like Gonzaga was outmanned and in for a struggle. With about 8 mins to go in the 1st half, Baylor was up 38-19. 

From there, Gonzaga had a decent run before halftime, whittled the lead down to 10 and showed the path for a way back into the game: patient offense, quit turning the ball over, lure Baylor into fouls, hit your FT's, get every rebound, pray Baylor stops nailing these 3's. Baylor shot too well, played too hard in the 1st half, in the 2nd half they'd wither, fall into foul trouble and Gonzaga would make up the deficit to steal the W.

And for Baylor the game plan was also clear: keep hitting 3's (and get ready for the trophy presentation). 

Gonzaga had a chance to salvage the season, go out strong and smart and steal back the Championship they thought they'd already earned. But they couldn't keep their roll going after halftime: Gonzaga missed FT's, Baylor kept hitting 3's, that was ball game. 

Baylor came to play, then lapsed a little before halftime, then clamped down in the 2nd half.  Nice W for Baylor, really a smooth game from them from the jump, they were all great, everyone was hitting shots, everyone made plays on defense, they avoided foul trouble in the 2nd half, which just heightened the advantage they already possessed in bench depth. So outside of a lull before halftime, Baylor straight dominated this game in every way. All hail, they were really good all year long and flat took this tournament for themselves, a fun team to watch, and by the Final they were really humming.(*)  Good work.

(*) Reminded me of the 2019 NCAA football championship when Clemson dusted off Alabama. 

Bama had been #1 all year long, everyone assumed they would crush every other team, except possibly Clemson. You knew Clemson had talent but their schedule is just not as interesting as Alabama's, so you couldn't tell how good they actually were. They were the only team that even had a shot at hanging with the Tide, so...could they? Answer was 'yes', Clemson straight f'n flayed Alabama, while we all just gaped and went 'oh shit...'. Not necessarily a shock that Clemson won the game, but the ease with which they controlled every second of the game (while slicing and dicing the consensus favorite) was jarring and impressive.

Everyone knew Baylor was good and they were ballin' in the tourney, but until you actually saw them out there with Gonzaga, it was real easy to think Gonzaga was the better team. Actually, they were both really good teams, but head to head Baylor's defense just kept Gonzaga from getting anything going and the way Baylor drilled 3's....looking back on it, the fact that Baylor only won by 16 seems kinda weird and just highlights Baylor's dominance: Gonzaga actually shot the ball pretty well and were still never in the game.

2021 NCAA Elite Eight (Day Two)

 (6) Southern Cal 66-85 (1) Gonzaga

Southern Cal had the worst opening 5 mins imaginable and the game was pretty much over by the first TV timeout. All the talk was of Southern Cal's great big men but they didn't get going at all, nor did USC shoot well, defend well, etc. Felt like Gonzaga might get a scare here but the only real danger is they win too huge and TV ratings falter, otherwise they're in good shape. 

(11) UCLA 51-49 (1) Michigan

Michigan had many chances down the stretch and could not buy a basket in the final minute. Felt like Michigan was the better team throughout but too many unforced errors kept UCLA (re: Juzang) in the game. Juzang was great, not sure I got much else from UCLA. Their sludgy defensive style kept Michigan from developing much attack but outside of Juzang, UCLA has no attack at all. For years the NBA Spurs were the model of efficiency, night in night out their average was better than everyone else's average and they beat most everyone just by being better than everyone; their one weakness was an expectedly great performance--a statistical anomaly--by one individual star (Shaq, Dirk, Chris Paul, for example). Is Juzang enough to upset Gonzaga all by himself? (I don't see it happening; but I am shocked and amazed that Juzang isn't rocketing up the NBA draft mocks--are you nuts? This kid is a top 5 pick!)

2021 NCAA Elite Eight (Day One)

(12) Oregon St 61-67 (2) Houston

Weird game, fun game. Whenever it felt like Houston was gonna wrap it up, Oregon State would come roaring back. Early on, Houston's D was stifling but on offense I couldn't figure out what their game is, I mean they chuck a lot of 3's, but that doesn't feel like who they are. They want to be more balanced, more controlled but they don't know how, so they shoot a lot of 3's and so far it has worked for them. Houston is an interesting team, feels like a lot more talent than they ever really showcase. If they get it together, they can win it all...or they could get slaughtered by Baylor. Good run for Oregon State but the scoring dried up for long stretches of time and they just couldn't overcome their own inefficiency. 

(3) Arkansas 72-81 (1) Baylor

At the first TV timeout, Baylor was up 15-3. I said to myself right then that Baylor would win but by less than 12. Baylor was better but that weren't that much better and Arkansas had a decent shot at coming back. Baylor had a poorly timed drought in the 2nd half that kept the game close even though it felt like Baylor was dominating. But Arkansas' scoring just vanished in the last eight mins and that was that. (Also: Ark, dude, are you fouling in the last minute or not? Are you playing D or are you just running out the clock? Pick one! Real lack of leadership down the stretch, no game plan at work)

2021 Sweet 16 (Day Two)

(5) Creighton 65-83 (1) Gonzaga

Creighton was nice, had a coupla nice scoring spurts. But Gonzaga is good at every position and disciplined and they're gonna outscore most every team they play. Southern Cal is a curveball.   

(4) Florida State 58-76 (1) Michigan

I thought the refs did the Seminoles no favor early on, lot of 50/50 calls that just put FSU on the backfoot right off the bat. Michigan took advantage and throttled them throughout. (Meh, I don't usually blame the refs, but I thought here they inserted themselves a little over much that early in the game) Michigan is tough and they got a bunch of good scorers, they're a tough out, and I'd say they're clearly better than UCLA.

(11) UCLA 88-78 (ot) (2) Alabama

Fun game, back and forth, felt like Bama would finally get the upper hand after Juzang fouled out but it kinda flipped on them. Anyway, nice Bama buzzer beater to tie it up but UCLA got all point-happy in OT and salted it away. Good W for UCLA, overcame adversity against a top notch opponent. Michigan is rolling right now but the Bruins might give them a scare. 

(7) Oregon 82-68 (6) Southern Cal

I didn't see any of this one. Seems like USC got hotter quicker and piled on as Oregon faltered. Southern Cal is probably the weirdest, most dangerous side Gonzaga has played all year, this is probably the most logical upset if Gonzaga is gonna stumble. 

PS -- Oh yeah, I hate replay. I hate it. I have never liked it, never needed it and the more intrusive it becomes, the less I like it or need it. Shit, they still get the calls wrong, so why are they wasting so much time? I hate replay. Hate it in all sports. (*)

(*) Replay works in one sport: tennis. First, there's only one thing to look at: in or out, nothing much else to even considering. And second, they show the replay in the stadium, the players pause, and the audience all watches the replay together and sees the definitive result and then we move on. Every other sport it's annoying pain in the ass, in tennis its actually kinda fun and helpful. But in no other sport is replay worth as much time as it gets.